The Jedi Way: 'Til Death Do Us Part
by Jedimastersandy
Summary: sequel to Jedi Way: In Sickness and in Health. When Obi-wan falls victim to torture, can he survive til his master rescues him?
1. Chapter 1

Heya, everybody! I'm still alive and writing stories… I hope you've read my other ones.

This is a sequel to my previous story. It is not necessary to read it first, but it might help understand the relationship.

Nineteen-year old Obi-wan Kenobi barely woke when he heard the knock on his door. When the knock repeated itself, he grumbled and rolled over. The third time was accompanied with a warning. "Padawan! If I have to ask again, I will personally come in and pull you out of bed!" at that, the teenager sat up and sleepily got out of bed, stumbling down the hall toward the 'fresher. Five minutes later, he walked into the kitchen, only to be greeted by a billow of smoke accompanied by the smell of burned gukk eggs and topatoes. He giggled.

"Breakfast in the commissary again?" the cook, his Master Qui-gon, growled. The Padawan giggled again. This was a common thing. He may be an accomplished Jedi Master, but an accomplished cook he was not. Suddenly, Obi-wan had to duck as a pillow from the couch in the living area sailed through the air toward the back of his head, propelled by the Force. Obi-wan ducked, and the pillow sailed onward, impacting cleanly with Qui-gon's face. Very quickly, a second pillow followed the first, this time propelled by the Apprentice's Force. The Master reflected it back at its sender, who ducked and escaped into the living quarters. With a playful chuckle, Qui-gon followed, sending a throw blanket around the youth's ankles, pinning him down on the floor. He then began tickling the boy mercilessly, making him laugh so hard, he could barely catch his breath. Finally, the Obi-wan was able to disengage himself from the large figure and escape into the hallway, only to smack into a solid object blocking his path.

He rebounded and ended up sprawled on his back at the feet of Jedi Master Mace Windu. Qui-gon followed his Apprentice, his intent being to suggest they go to Didi's diner for breakfast, since the chefs at the commissary couldn't cook any better than Qui-gon, but ended up leaning on the door frame and laughing at the look on the boy's face when he realized just who he had run into. The dark-skinned Master transferred his calm gaze from the downed Apprentice to the laughing Master and informed them, in a tone that clearly told the pair that he was barely holding in his own laughter, that their presence was required at the Council chamber in one hour.

"Perfect!" The youth exclaimed. "Just enough time for breakfast!" Qui-gon, with a smile of his own, slapped him on the back affectionately and the two strolled in companionable silence down the exalted halls of the Jedi Temple. Even if they were late for their meeting with the Council, Qui-gon was determined his Apprentice would have edible food for breakfast and he never broke a promise.

The most accomplished Master-Padawan team in the Temple bowed before the twelve Council members as the door swished closed behind them. Mater Windu began without preamble. The team would be going after a bounty hunter that preyed on star liners, kidnapping random passengers and torturing them for a week, then returning the dead body to the family. There was never any ransom; he just seemed to enjoy it for his own sadistic pleasure. The Jedi team would go undercover as a rich man 

and his son in the hopes that they could then trap and arrest the bounty hunter. They would leave that night at 1900 hours on a transport headed for the resort world of Yelsa. Dismissed with a bow, the two partners returned to their apartment to change into their disguises and rest. The Master had a feeling this mission would be a very difficult one, and they would need all the energy they could muster.

At promptly 1855, Obi-wan and Qui-gon were putting their decoy luggage away in their plush quarters. They had a three-room suite; the largest and most opulent suite on the cruiser, garnered from favors owed the Jedi Order. After a late dinner of nerf steaks in ginn sauce and whipped muja smoothies, the two humans laid down to sleep, both keeping half their attention tuned for danger. Halfway through the night, Obi-wan was rudely awoken by a warning screaming its way through the Force, telling him that the bounty hunter was approaching. Before he could reach the central room, the front door was blown open and both Jedi were knocked off their feet by the blast. It took Obi-wan less time than his Master to jump to his feet, but in that split second, the bounty hunter had secured the larger man with electro-cuffs.

As Obi-wan stepped forward to apprehend the hunter, said man leveled a blaster at Qui-gon's head. "One more step, and I'll kill him." the hunter growled. The Padawan obeyed, seeing no reason not to believe this man. He was afraid—truly afraid for the first time in years—that this man would kill Qui-gon. With a wicked grin, the hunter brought the handle of the blaster down hard on the Master's head, knocking him out cold.

"No!!" Obi-wan yelled his denial. "Take me instead!" The hunter paused, considering, then affixed a pair of binders to the student's wrists. He let the teenager to his ship, where he was stripped of everything but his leggings and thrown roughly into a cell with an order to be silent or suffer.

Qui-gon was awoken by the captain of the star liner. His first thought was to his charge. Finding him not in the immediate vicinity, he questioned the pilot who informed him that the teen was last seen being led onto the bounty hunter's ship. With a far-off look in his eyes, Qui-gon looked out at the stars and sent a message through the silent training bond, hoping his missing Apprentice would hear. _Hold on, Obi. I'll find you, you just have to hold on until I get there._ He didn't know if Obi-wan heard, but he immediately set to work locating his lost child.

So…… what'dya think? –begs readers with a cute puppy face – please review, it makes me happy.


	2. Chapter 2

I did it. I updated in one week, without being poked by a cattle prod! Hope you enjoy.

Qui-gon woke from his light doze as the training bond, silent for a week now, suddenly flared to life with a mental scream that echoed painfully long after the bond was closed again. He sat, panting, because in that brief second of contact he knew with certainty where his missing Apprentice was. After the attack, Qui-gon had been instructed to find the young man as quickly as possible. He didn't need to be reminded of the bounty hunter's reputation: he would torture a victim for a week, then send their dead body back to their family.

The Jedi knew Obi-wan could hold out longer than the others, but he was still only a teenage boy. And from the timbre of the scream resonating through Qui-gon's head, the Apprentice couldn't hold out much longer. As he sent his appropriated speeder flying at top speed toward his Padawan he sent strength, love and support through their bond, silently begging his child to hold on until he got there.

Obi-wan was jerked out of unconsciousness by a yank on the chains holding his arms above his head. He grunted, but wouldn't give his captor the satisfaction of hearing him yell. It had been a week, if his internal time sense was working correctly, and the young man was beginning to weaken. He had had little food or water in the previous days, and the added strain of blocking his condition from his Master was draining the youth's strength. He raised rebellious eyes toward his captor, who smirked.

"Where's your daddy now?" he chuckled. "All that money doesn't do you any good now, does it?" Initially, the bounty hunter's belief that Obi-wan was just a spoiled little brat had worked to the youth's advantage. Now, however, the young man's refusal to submit was grating on the hunter's nerves. He pulled an electro-whip off his belt, but didn't turn it on. Instead, he used the woven fibers to lash Obi-wan's bare back, staining the white skin a sickly red. Obi-wan bore it with traditional Jedi stoicism, blocking all traces of his training bond with his Master. If Qui-gon felt his pain, he would come after him and the Apprentice couldn't stand for his Master to see him this way. He knew that anytime something happened to him, it broke Qui-gon's heart. That was the last thing Obi-wan wanted, to break his Master's heart after all the older man had done for him over the years of his Apprenticeship.

His thoughts about his Master dulled the pain enough that he, apparently, didn't react enough for the crazed man in front of him. In an attempt to get some kind of a reaction from the teen, the bounty hunter activated the electro-whip and jabbed it mercilessly into the teen's ribs. Along with the sensation of feeling his ribs break and move into unnatural positions, crippling pain spread from his sternum straight up his spine, spiking in his brain. The youth then DID scream, both in body and mind. His heart fell when the pain cleared. His shields had dropped, because now he could feel his Master's feelings flowing through the bond, begging the young man to hang on. As much as Obi-wan wanted to obey, he was already beginning to have trouble drawing breath. Between the broken ribs and the position he was chained in, his lungs were having trouble filling themselves with air, but he was determined to hold out as long as possible. Once his captor left to tend to other business, he latched 

onto the Force-strength his Master was sending him and concentrated on breathing until Qui-gon came to rescue him.

The bounty hunter left after the brat finally screamed. He was definitely stronger-willed then most of the spoiled rich kids he normally kidnapped, but he refused to think about why. Chuckling, he stepped into the hallway, only to be stopped by the beeping of his comm. link.

"Sir," a crisp, clear voice rang out loudly in the deserted hallway. "There's a Jedi heading your way, ETA two hours."

"Sithspawn!" The last thing he needed was some high and mighty Jedi breathing down his neck. "What does he want?"

"We're not sure. The best anyone can figure, you've got something of theirs and he's here to get it back."

The bounty hunter paused. He hadn't taken anything for a month- except the brat! Could it be possible the youth he had tied up in his basement was connected to the Jedi Order somehow? He laughed. "Doesn't matter. By the time he gets here, there won't be anything worth taking back to their precious temple."

Even though the speeder was straining its engines, Qui-gon wished that he could go even faster when he felt Obi-wan latch onto the Force-energy he was sending like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. Through their bond, he was keenly aware that Obi-wan doubted he could hold on until Qui-gon got there, but he also felt the boy's determination that he WOULD hang on, even if it killed him.

Have not written the next chapter, but hope to, yet again, update within the week.


	3. Chapter 3

So, here it is. The last chapter, within a week, just like I promised. Hope you enjoy.

P.S.- I still don't own star wars, nor am I a millionare…

Qui-gon parked the speeder outside a two-story, old-fashioned brick building and jumped out before the engines could fully turn off. With worry hastening his steps, he raced through the door, unlit 'saber in hand and senses on alert. Not surprisingly, he didn't encounter the bounty hunter. The only presence he felt was that of his apprentice, slowly fading but determined. He followed the presence down a rickety, creaking staircase to a hallway, dark except for the weak glow of two glowrods that attempted to push back the gloom.

Passing several doorways, the frantic man rushed toward the very large, wooden door staring coldly at him from the end of the hall. Slowly pushing the heavy wood aside, he stopped as the sight of his bloodied and broken child hanging limply from thick iron chains like a piece of dead meat in a butcher shop. Taking a deep breath he pushed his fear and worry away. He didn't have the time to waste, not when Ob-wan's life was literally hanging in the balance. Crossing the room with quick, sure steps, he cut the restraints and caught his Padawan before the boy could fall to the floor. Qui-gon had to, again, stifle his emotions when a half-audible moan fell from the boy's chapped lips.

Lowering the youth to the cold floor, he was dismayed when the boy's breathing became wheezy and he seemed unable to catch his breath, even when Qui-gon shifted him so he was sitting propped up against the stalwart chest. The dim, now grey eyes lifted themselves to gaze into worried and frightened blue ones. The youth opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, a cough forced its way out of the pale face. Shivering in fright and cold, Ob-wan coughed violently until he fell back, exhausted, his face a deathly pale and chest barely moving. The only thing that showed he still lived was the slight trickle of blood that seeped from the corner of Ob-wan's mouth.

With trembling fingers, the Master brushed the red stain away. He held his wobbly child as he fought to fill his lungs with life giving oxygen. Rubbing his back soothingly, Qui-gon whispered loving encouragement. Without warning, the air seemed to give out. Ob-wan exhaled, slowly, painfully, but failed to inhale again. After staring blankly at the still face of his only pride and joy for several minutes, years of training kicked in and Qui-gon frantically began to resuscitate the youth. Ob-wan's form remained still, the lungs still refusing to expand. After several more minutes with no response, the great Jedi Master lost his battle with tears and openly wept over the unbeating heart of his child.

"Oh, Force!" he prayed. "I can't lose him. Not now, not this early in our partnership. It's all my fault he's like this. If he hadn't sacrificed himself, it would be me right there. I can't live without his light in my life. Please. Let him live." His voice gave out then and his sobs silenced long enough for him to register that there was another sound disturbing the quiet of the Sith-forsaken room. Whipping his eyes up from the floor, he was joyous beyond feeling when he saw the most beautiful pair of grey-green eyes staring blankly at him.

"Obi!" he gasped. At the sound of his voice, the battered young man valiantly tried to raise himself up on shaky knees. The action left him breathless and Qui-gon enfolded him in strong arms as much to prevent him from crashing to the permacrete as to reassure himself that his light still lived.

"M-master." Qui-gon, throat tight with emotion, could only nod against the dirty, blood-washed locks. "Wh-what happened? I… I thought I died."

Clearing his throat, Qui-gon whispered in a thick voice."I'm not sure, child. I prayed that you live and it seems the Force has granted me my heart's desire."

"I'm glad." Ob-wan stated simply, his exhausted mind allowing him to give into the childlike wish that everything be all right.

"Rest." Qui-gon implored as he saw the boy's eyes failing to remain open. "Rest. I'm here now, no one and nothing can hurt you now." With a contented sigh, Ob-wan was only too glad to oblige, relaxing into the hold of the one person he knew he could rely on until the angel of death parted them forever.

So, what did you think? I didn't have the guts to permanently kill Obi, so I just killed him technically.


End file.
